Authors draw attention to certain problems which should not be missed especially concerning the last step of archaeological methodology i.e. in attempting to interpret discovered archaeological sources with respect to a living culture,i.e. a historical society. This article outlines several possibilities that may explain the so-called burials in settlementcontexts. All of the examples discussed were encountered in the area of Mikulcice - a Great Moravian power centre.The authors also introduce several possible interpretations of these field situations with respect to the living culture.They consider (similarly to other researchers) the possibilities and difficulties of chronological, social, economic, political as well as symbolic interpretations of material sources. In concluding this work, the authors emphasize thatall examples discussed, point to the necessity of carefully distinguishing between archaeological and empirical factson the one hand, and cultural facts that are not available to archaeologists, on the other hand. In light of the proposedconclusions, the revision of „old“ excavations in the area of early Medieveal fortified agglomeration Mikulcice-Valydemonstrates the need for acquiring new data of a quality matching the current methodological requirements. and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The author presents a revised interpretation of the area of the NE gateway of the acropolis of the Great Moravian power centre Mikulčice-Valy and the adjacent fortification. The work is a response to a previously published picture of the overall find situation of this area (by B. Kavánová 2003), which, according to the author, does not match the infor mation available in the original documentation. The interpretation procedures clearly presented in the aforementioned monograph cannot be substantiated due to inadequate field work methods, the extent of the documentation compiled and the way in which this documentation is selected and designed This work also provides a critique of the interpre tation of the stratigraphic situation and the dating means and methods used. According to this revised interpretation, it is not possible to concur regarding the relevance of the evidence on which B. Kaváinová bases her hypothesis that there was more than one phase to the rampart. Due to this unsubstantiated interpretation, the chronology given for other settlement structures therefore lacks credibility. The text also includes a reconstruction of the passage through the fortification when the aforementioned gate was in use., Marian Mazuch., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
Taphonomic, paleopathological, and paleodemographic analyses of human remains from the Mid Upper Paleolithic of western Eurasia are increasingly documenting a diversity of mortuary behaviors among these successful Late Pleistocene foragers. These considerations are joined by three associated pairs of otherwise isolated appendicular remains from the site of Pavlov I (the Pavlov 31 partial hands and the Pavlov 37 and 38 tarsometatarsal skeletons), previously described morphologically but not assessed in terms of their taphonomy. They are described here with respect to their contexts and patterns of preservation to assess possible taphonomic and/or mortuary implications of these sets of antimeres. Subchondral articular bone that is free of carbonate encrustation on at least the Pavlov 37 pedal remains suggests some degree of articulation in situ. Although root etched, the elements lack carnivore or other vertebrate damage, as well as cut marks. Even though associated unilateral hand or foot remains are unexceptional among the fur-bearing faunal remains, the bilateral presence of these human remains raises questions concerning the taphonomic and behavioral/ mortuary processes responsible for their preservation: do they represent portions of abandoned human bodies, remains of naturally disturbed burials, extremities left from secondary burials, and/or intentionally manipulated human body portions? Any combination of these processes expands current perceptions of the mortuary diversity among these early modern humans., Sandra Sázelová, Jarosław Wilczyński, Piotr Wojtal, Jiří Svoboda, Erik Trinkaus., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
1_The cosmogenic radionuclide 14C is created in the atmosphere as the result of nuclear reactions generated by cosmic radiation. It is then oxidised in the atmosphere to take on the chemical form 14CO2, which has physical and chemical properties similar to conventional carbon dioxide. First of all, 14CO2 is formed in plant tissue through photosynthesis; then, as part of the food chain, 14C enters the bodies of herbivores and subsequently carnivores. When an animal dies, it ceases to absorb 14C from the surrounding environment and 14C activity in the corresponding sample gradually decreases due to radioactive decay. The half-life of 14C is 5730 ± 40 years, which is why this radionuclide may be used to date samples containing organic carbon. 14C may be determined by measuring its activity (using conventional methods) or using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) to determine the 14C content in a carbon isotopic mixture (now the predominant method). The resulting activities are referenced against the radiocarbon standard and expressed as conventional radiocarbon age in BP in accordance with the Stuiver-Polach convention (1977). As 14C activity was not completely constant in the past, the resulting activities must be adjusted (calibrated) using a radiocarbon calibration curve. The INTCAL09 calibration curve is now available for terrestrial samples. For the purposes of creating these calibration curves, highly precise 14C activities are allocated ages determined using other dating methods, such as dendrochronology (Stuiver et al. 1993; Reimer et al. 2009)., 2_Software such as OxCal, CALIB and CalPal may be used for the actual calibration process, and the result is generally expressed in years AD and BC, or in calibrated BP years (once again meaning prior to 1950; however, when results are expressed in this way it can often lead to confusion with the conventional radiocarbon age). Radiocarbon dating is now one of the most precise physical dating methods in archaeology, after dendrochronology., Miriam Nývltová Fišáková., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
This diploma thesis based paper focuses on the problems of settlement archaeology and a spectrum of archaeological artifacts, which were excavated during a salvage archaeological excavation at Olomouc-Slavonín-„Horní Lán“site. The site is known to have been occupied multiple times and during different periods from prehistoric times tillthe present. This study discusses issues of early Medieval settlement at this site-the main part is concerned withSlavonic pottery analysis, then the study deals with the analysis of the structure of Slavonic settlement, characterof features and its placement in a range of settlement area. Slavonic settlement at Olomouc-Slavonín-„Horní Lán“is characterized by the absence of typical Slavonic earth-houses, therefore the settlement at this site supports the hypothesis of the existence of other house forms in use during the early Medieval period. The basic analysis of archaeological material from this site is supported by the statistical analysis. Statistical analysis defines the main tendenciesin the investigated data; it shows initially invisible structures and contexts and thus it aids in the final interpretationof investigated structures at the Olomouc-Slavonín-„Horní Lán“ settlement., Adéla Balcárková., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The territory of Moravia is well known for its high density of Early Upper Paleolithic sites. However, the majority of sites are surface sites lacking chrono-stratigraphic data. To further our understanding of the technological development, and replacement of Neanderthals by Anatomically Modern Humans between 50-40 kya, necessitates the discovery of new stratified sites. We implemented a project aimed at discovering new EUP sites with intact sediments. Central part the Bobrava Highland is an important EUP microregion and is located on the southwestern margin of the Brno Basin. We relocated almost all previously published sites in the area and conducted surface surveys in an attempt to discover additional surface sites. At each site we recorded the artifact clusters in absolute coordinates, and searched for potential artifacts in the intact sediments, often along the edges of surface artifact clusters. We have located intact sediments at four sites previously recorded as surface sites. We found in situ artifacts at two of the sites. The developed and successfully tested survey strategy may have potential application for surveys in other microregions., Petr Škrdla ... [et al.]., and Obsahuje seznam literatury
The aim of this paper is to present and interpret the finding situation around so-called north-western gate in the outer bailey of the Great Moravian centre Mikulčice-Valy. In addition to the gate, this area revealed remains of a fortification wall and of a settlement, which was protected by the fortification wall. The analysed and interpreted finding situation was surveyed in 1966-1968. The first sections of the paper define the objectives of the paper (chronology, structure, decay of the fortification), introduces the method of revision processing (analysis of entities and qualities, spatial analyses in the GIS environment) and describes the finding situation revealed in the monitored area. Then, the paper focuses on the analysis of spatial relationships of documented contexts (stratigraphy). This analysis is a starting point for a discussion with hypotheses about the chronology and construction of the gate and fortification wall published by Z Klanica, Poulík and B. Kavánová in the second half of the 20th century. Finally, the paper presents an interpretation model about dating construction and decay of the fortifications in outer bailey of the Mikulčice agglomeration., Marek Hladík., and Obsahuje seznam literatury